Last Updated: January 2025
Looking to sail on a European river cruise and not sure which line is best? Here at rivercruisecomparison.com we've brought you an Avalon vs Riverside head-to-head matchup. Does either of these river cruise lines get your knock out vote? Let us know in the comments below.
Round 1: Pricing & Booking Policies
Price comparisons with Riverside are a little harder than most cruise lines due to the options available when booking. First, Riverside operates far fewer ships so there are less direct matches for comparison. Second, Riverside offers four booking “tiers” that range from cruise only fares (no excursions or alcoholic drinks included) to an all-inclusive option. When selecting the Riverside tier that most closely matches to an Avalon experience, we find that the pricing with Avalon tends to come in less than Riverside.
Avalon offers limited time sales throughout the year that range from a reduced cruise fare, free cabin upgrades, prepaid gratuities, and airfare promotions. Avalon is not all-inclusive. Avalon offers free beer and wine at lunch and dinner, but also provides an extra one-hour pre-dinner window where guests can choose from a drink menu of select complimentary mixed drinks, wines, and beers.
When booked far enough in advance, Riverside offers a 10% early booking discount. They have also offered an onboard credit booking incentive from time-to-time.
Avalon does not include gratuities of any type in their cruise fare, so they will come out of pocket to the traveler. Though Avalon tends to offer more promotions throughout the year that could get you pre-paid gratuities included at no extra charge. Riverside’s fares include gratuities for staff onboard the ship, as well as for tour guides and drivers.
Deposits for Avalon and Riverside are non-refundable. Avalon typically requires a $500 deposit per cabin, while Riverside requires a 10% deposit. The deadline for making final payment for both Avalon and Riverside is 90 days prior to your sail date.
Traveling solo? If so, Avalon offers solo travelers with options that reduce the supplement to as little as 0% (at least a few cabins per sailing have no single supplement – typically the entry level cabins on the bottom deck). They also have promotions throughout the year that might expand the number of cabins available, and even extend it into higher priced cabins. Riverside also offers no single supplement on their entry level cabins.
Looking to travel with kids under 18? Avalon allows children 8 years and older onboard, while Riverside has no minimum age. Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by, and share a cabin with, a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult over the age of 21.
Avalon offers a discount for returning guests, while Riverside does not.
Verdict for this round of Avalon vs Riverside:
There are a lot of variables at play in this round, so the winner might change based on which of those variables are most important to you. For some, Avalon will be the default winner if Riverside does not offer the specific sailing of interest due to their smaller fleet of ships. For those that are price sensitive, Avalon will likely take the win. Solo travelers can find no supplement options on either line, though families with children under 8 will need to go with Riverside.
Round 2: Cabins & Onboard Amenities
If design aesthetic is important to you, then you have some differences between both cruise lines to consider. Avalon presents a clean, contemporary interior with a neutral color palette, stylish lighting, and artistic accents across their entire fleet. Riverside presents an opulent, refined elegance with a serene color palette and a blend of traditional and contemporary design elements. Both the Ravel and Debussy ships are identical, with the Mozart having design differences due to the extra wide size of the ship.
Cabin sizes offered by each line can vary quite a bit, but the most common cabins on each line are very similar in square footage – 200 square feet for Avalon and between 194 and 215 square feet for Riverside. Riverside has an outlier in the world of European river cruise ships, with the MS Mozart being almost double in width to the average river cruise ship. The extra space allows for larger cabins across the board (as well as more generous public spaces and additional bars and restaurants).
Avalon cabins on the middle and top deck offer bed placement that faces you towards the balcony, while only some of Riverside’s suites have the same placement. All of Avalon's and Riverside’s ships have elevator access to each cabin deck. Avalon does not offer connecting rooms, while Riverside has a few limited options.
Onboard amenities with Avalon include free Wi-Fi, onboard bicycles, fitness room, and a whirlpool (or pool on the Alegria). One amenity that some might find missing is onboard massage services. In contrast, Riverside has all of these, plus massage service and a hair salon.
Avalon offers a Wellness Program on each of its ships, where a Wellness Host will lead morning and afternoon yoga, stretches, etc. The host will also lead any hiking and biking excursions. Riverside does not currently offer this, but their salon, pool, and fitness room offerings are larger and more robust than what Avalon offers.
Verdict for this round of Avalon vs Riverside:
For many, this round likely goes to Riverside. But if bed placement facing the window or a Wellness Program are important to you then that might tip the scale towards Avalon.
Round 3: Excursions
Avalon offers one free excursion per port, and typically gives you multiple options to choose from (especially if you are on one of their ‘Active & Discovery’ sailings) – maybe a city walking tour or panoramic bus tour, a hike or bike ride, or a more culturally immersive option such as a visit to a local landmark, museum, or concert. Avalon will also have at least a few additional options that come with an extra per person charge. With Riverside, your excursions are only included if you have booked into one of their pricing “tiers” that included them (though you can book individually on the ship at an extra cost). When comparing the type and quality of excursions, Avalon offers a few options that are more immersive than what Riverside offers (though that could be changing as Riverside gets their feet under them).
Verdict for this round of Avalon vs Riverside:
The winner, by a slight edge, for this round is Avalon. There are more well-rounded options to choose from Avalon at this time, but expect this to narrow even more over time as Riverside gains experience and builds more connections within the communities they sail through.
Round 4: Dining Experience
Food is probably one of the most talked about comparisons when selecting a river cruise. The problem with this is that dining experiences are subjective, and mostly dependent on the execution by onboard staff (both front and back of the house). For every traveler that says they absolutely loved their food on either of these lines, you will find another who complains about the experience. So, comparisons are really about an overall impression on the consistency of service across each cruise line’s fleet.
Both Avalon and Riverside offer buffet-style dining for breakfast and lunch, as well as some limited full-service ordering during both meals. Dinners on both lines are multi-course affairs with at least two or three options to choose from for each course. Special diet requests can be accommodated on either cruise line. Both lines market themselves as offering locally sourced ingredients, with dishes inspired by the places visited during the cruise. Avalon also offers continental breakfast and dinner through room service, while Riverside offers service for all meals.
Riverside offers a unique dining experience on each sailing. Riverside’s Vintage Room provides guests with a unique, memorable 7-course menu paired with high quality wines. The Vintage Room is only offered on certain nights, must be reserved in advance, and comes with an additional per person charge.
What do critics and travelers say? While Riverside is new to European river cruising, they have made a splash with their culinary offerings – even earning the top spot for river cruises from a major cruise critic website in 2023. Feedback from clients tends to support this recognition, with their wine selection getting high marks. Avalon has no recorded culinary awards.
Verdict for this round of Avalon vs Riverside:
The easy winner for this round is Riverside. While you should experience an outstanding dining experience with Avalon, the experience with Riverside will be an elevated experience each night.
The Verdict: Who Wins this Head-to-Head Matchup?
With both cruise lines ending several of the rounds with somewhat of a split decision, the win could go either way for many cruisers. But the larger fleet and more robust itinerary options narrowly tip the overall match to...Avalon!
Want to learn more about river cruising? Visit us at rivercruisecomparison.com where you can review our comparisons of the best river cruise lines that sail throughout Europe, learn more about the European rivers you can sail on, and browse our special offers to save a little money on your next sailing. And don't forget to take our one-of-a-kind quiz that will match you to the cruise line best suited to you and your preferences!
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